There’s nothing like a good book launch and the Hong Kong Writers Circle hosted a launch earlier this month to celebrate the publication of Of Gods and Mobsters, our latest anthology. It was great to see so many members come out, including two who are now based in the UK and who are in the process of setting up the HKWC overseas UK critique group (if you’re in Hong Kong and you want in on a critique group, scroll down and you’ll see some more info). It was also a chance to thank Simon, who has now edited three anthologies, and to meet some of the SCAD students who designed covers for the anthology as part of a school assignment. If you’re ever publishing a book (as have many of our writers – see below) and are in need of some artwork, please consider working with some of these talented artists. You can check out some of their portfolioshere, here, here, while you can contact Simon at books@hkwriterscircle.com if you’re interested in hiring our cover artist Robin Lau. Because yes, we do indeed judge a book by its cover.

Also, we are hosting a competition to win a complimentary copy of Of Gods and Mobsters, so please go to our Facebook page on Monday, April 22 to enter!

Cheers, Melanie

Also in this issue: Of Gods & Mobsters is now available on Paddyfield and on Amazon, new books by James Tam, Jame Dibiasio and John Biggs, critique groups and our next Just Write workshop.

This month has been a bit (a lot) busy and there’s been little time to eat, much less think about an editorial. So I’m cheating this month and giving you a recap of the HKWC’s Meet the Agent workshop that we hosted at the end of last month with Kelly Falconer from the new Asia Literary Agency. So what’s a literary agent? You can google that and maybe read the blogs of agents and ex-agents (turned author) and people who don’t think you need an agent. But here’s one thing you might not have known – these days the agent is also responsible for doing the editing and finalizing the book as much as possible because publishing houses are looking for a manuscript that’s ready to go. See, that’s one answer you missed from the workshop. Another answer (one that came from a question from a person who obviously likes lists – although, maybe we all do) was about Kelly’s three big turnoffs.

And here they are:

• stories proclaiming yourself to be the next Messiah
• memoirs about your time in the war
• the dead grandmother story (aka the too much narrative, zero dialogue)

But on the flip side, what makes a novel successful? According to our workshop: plot, setting, character and dialogue.

We also learned about the business of publishing a book and the highly marketable author, also known as the hot one (but again, what else is new?). Also: you must participate in your own publicity. And finally, rejection. It happens to all of us and Kelly wanted to know: “Do you want a two-line rejection”? The resounding answer was yes and as one member said: “Just put us out of our misery”.

Happy writing, Melanie

Also in this issue: Of Gods and Mobsters the latest HKWC anthology, new publications from Phillip Kim and plenty of writing, reading and distractions.

We’re hosting our first seminar of the year on Tuesday, February 26 with literary agent Kelly Falconer, who has so kindly offered to host an Ask the Agent workshop. Please block the date off in your diary and RSVP to rsvp@hkwriterscircle.com ASAP (seriously, this event will sell out) and see below for all the details. It’s going to be a great, informative and super useful evening. I know I have like a million questions and I’m sure I’m not the only one. Kelly is seriously in the know and here, I’ll save you the time Googling her. A former Korean linguist, Kelly was also the Literary Editor at the Asia Literary Review before starting the Asia Literary Agency. You can check out a review she wrote published in the Financial Times and her top three literary highlights of 2012 ($ req’d). SO SIGN UP! Details in the events section of this newsletter.

***
The HKWC had its AGM last month and with that we say a fond farewell to founder Lawrence Gray, who has stepped down as Treasurer, and to Laura Besley who has resigned her post as Secretary. I think everyone will join me in thanking both Lawrence and Laura for all of their hard work, but especially Lawrence who founded the HKWC and has, for over 20 years, been involved in its running. And so after the AGM, we welcome in new members to the Committee and look forward to a stellar 2013, with plenty of workshops, a great anthology and a chance to really connect with the writing community. I’ve been roped into writing the newsletter this year, so please let me know if you tire of salted caramel, 5 a.m. wake-up calls, Italo Calvino and other thoughts on writing and distractions (if you make it to the end of this newsletter you’ll find: Mr. Darcy had Aspergers, Danielle Steel’s Proust Questionnaire and Elizabeth Gilbert’s response to Philip Roth’s advice to quit writing.). Also quotes. Here’s one to leave you thinking: “It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.” – Ernest Hemingway

Melanie

Also in this issue:  Peter Gregoire reaches the top of the Dymocks Hong Kong list, we remember Sophronia Liu and check out the covers from our anthology cover competition with SCAD. Read on here!

Sophronia Liu

* first published in Measurements: Sketches from Hong Kong (2010)

MIDNIGHT. EVERYONE IS ASLEEP.

Even in the dark, I can see his eyes peering at me from across the partition. The cripple in the next room does not sleep. He keeps me awake. His dry coughs, his sighs, his creaky bed. Most of all, he follows me with his eyes.

Dark pupils, glistening in the dim light, they follow me down the narrow passageway. Going to and from the communal kitchen and the toilet in the back. Those wolf-like eyes burrow through my school uniform, my cotton pajamas; they latch on my breasts.

My face burns, but I keep moving, my eyes fixed on the dusty tiles on the floor.

The soup bowl in my hand trembles, ‘Slosh, slosh!’

‘Don’t spill the soup,’ Ah Ma scolds. ‘Look where you’re going, you dead girl!’

I’m fifteen. She still calls me bad names.

‘When I get a raise, we’ll look for a better place,’ Ah Ba promises. He’s been saying that since I was six, when we first came here from our village in Toisan.

‘Aren’t you lucky to go to Middle School,’ Ah Ma smirks. ‘I was selling fish at the market at your age.’

Yesterday after school, I walked through the door and he was sitting in the back balcony, sunning himself. As I walked through the passageway, past the bunk beds lining along the way, I could feel his eyes on me. Shirtless, he was scratching his chest with his right hand. Shards of sunlight lit up the skin on his shoulders, the top of his chest. My heart skipped a beat, and I froze.

His eyes locked me in. His fingers lingered on his left breast.

Leisurely, his thumb and forefinger kneaded his nipple, as if he were milking himself.

My mouth went dry.

His lips parted, showing the tip of his tongue. He smacked his lips together, one, two, three, just like a hungry baby seeking mother’s milk.

I bolted out of the apartment.

A day later, I can still hear my heart racing. Thud. Thud. Thud. I squeeze my eyes shut. All I can see are his fingers, milking, tweaking his dark brown nipple and the half grin on his sunken cheeks. He looks a million years old.

In the bunk below, Ah Ma and Ah Ba are snoring away. Di Di, my little brother, thrashes and turns on his mat on the floor. He must be practising kung fu in his dream. Eighteen sleeping bodies under one roof, am I the only one awake?

Creak, creak.

It’s that maddening bed sound again. It comes directly from the other side of the wooden panel, where the cripple’s bed is pressed up against the partition. Board pressed against board. Or is it flesh against flesh?

It drives me mad.

I must make these sounds stop. I must go to sleep.

Creak, creak.

All of a sudden, a deep chill rises from the bottom of my spine. Lying there in the gloom, I can feel them – his eyes, unblinking, beckoning. Two bottomless pools drawing me in.

Under my thin pyjama, I’m shaking uncontrollably.

I try to keep my breath even, feigning sleep. But I cannot rid myself of those dark pools, haunting, inviting.

I’m sweating, wet. I don’t know why.

I can almost smell him, somewhere close by.

Where is that creep?

I throw an arm across my forehead, and hide my face in the crook of my arm. Gingerly, from underneath my arm, I take a peep.

There he is! Outlined by the light shining in from the street, his head is a murky shadow, looming large and menacing on top of the partition.

He is staring down at me. There, less than three feet above.

My heart is rumbling in my chest, like a runaway train.

I can feel those devil eyes, like rock drills, burrowing through my bedclothes, burnishing my warm skin.

I can’t move. I can’t breathe.

I only feel the surge of heat all over my body. I’m trembling, trembling.

I want to scream: Leave me alone, you creep!

But I can’t.

They’d call me crazy.

If I had a dagger, I’d dig deep into those eye sockets. I’d scratch those marble eyes out so they’d leave me at peace.

But no dagger. No peace.

I bite down on my lip to stifle the scream choking in my throat. I can’t stand this any more, this tug of war, this test of will. Trapped like an animal, fixed like a dragonfly on a pin.

I fling my arm to the side and grab the first hard object next to my pillow. With all the strength in my body, I hurl it up at the dark shadow hanging over my bed. I can hear a dull thud as it hits its mark.

I hear him scream. He must have fallen off his bed.

Bolting upright from his sleep, Ah Ba cries from the bottom bunk. ‘What is it? What’s wrong?’

‘A rat, a rat! Above the partition! I got it with my book.’

‘Don’t make such a racket. Go back to sleep.’

‘Yes, I will.’

Hugging my pillow to my chest, I breathe a heavy sigh.

It’s over, only my pyjamas are drenched with sweat. I’m exhausted, wet through and through.

Sophronia Liu

* first published in Measurements: Sketches from Hong Kong (2010)

THE ELEVATOR DOOR OPENED. He stepped inside and pressed the button. Twelve.

‘Thirteen, please.’ A voice, light as wind, whispered at his side.

Astonished, he turned. ‘There’s no thirteenth floor, Miss.’

‘Doesn’t matter then.’

Her head was bent. Black hair, red dress. Youngish. Maybe eighteen?

She didn’t choose another floor. He meant to ask, but didn’t.

Red, flames of the forest, red-clad suicides, hell-fire, vengeful ghosts…. Images flashed through his mind.

The door opened again on twelve. He stepped out, still wondering. Behind him, the elevator door was about to close. He couldn’t help turning back for another look.

No one.

Where is that girl?

At his apartment, his mother rushed up to give him the news.

A girl, eighteen, had plunged to her death early that morning, falling thirty floors from the roof.

‘And she was wearing red!’

‘Red….’ he muttered, dazed.

Date:               29 January 2013

Time:                7:15 pm start

Venue:             Room B, Fringe Club

Present:            Melanie Ho, James Tam, Phillip Kim, Kate Hawkins, Neil Cloutman, Reena Bhojwani, Peter Humphreys, Katrina Hamlin, Simon Berry, Lawrence Gray, Rebekah Chan, Valerie Wilson Trower, Edmund Price, Simon Overton

1.  Previous Meeting Minutes: The 2012 AGM Minutes were approved by all.

2.  Review of 2012 activities.

a) Membership & Finances

• Lawrence Gray reported that there are currently ~ 60 members paid up, with another 25 members that need to be sent their membership reminders. Membership remains about the same. PayPal is quite popular with the membership – with 13 new memberships and seven renewals being paid for via PayPal
• Lawrence presented and accepted by members present. Note that no income was provided on the financial statement. More money was spent in 2012 due to extra socials.
• Due to some bad debts, events costing more than HK$50 will require pre-payment before admission.

b) Anthology Update:

• Simon Overton that the anthology is currently at 73,000 words, excluding any late stories. The anthology includes poetry. The anthology includes 19 authors. The anthology is still without title. The cover is being produced in conjunction with SCAD. SCAD students are designing proposals for the cover as part of a class assignment, with the winning cover (if there is one) receiving HK$500 prize, publication and credit.
• Launch party tentatively set for Monday, April 8^th. Venues are still TBC, but Simon to investigate SCAD gallery in Central. Melanie to investigate other options.
• Simon acknowledged Phillip Kim and Dani Lowry’s assistance as the initial editors on the project

c) Events, Books and Marketing Update:

• Events were held almost once per month (Just Write x 4, Reading x 1, Seminars x 4, Socials x 3). Most events covered their own costs, with the exception of the socials. Usually the events helped draw in new members. Need to find a venue that hosts over 20 people for this year’s activities but that is not expensive to rent.
• It was agreed that the quality of this year’s events was a big positive and that the HKWC should continue to maintain this standard in 2013.
• The anthologies continue to sell a few copies. Hotel China, Measurements and As We See It are all on Kindle and are enrolled in the KDP Select program. The program is beneficial as they have free download days. During our first three-day promotion, the HKWC gave away over 250 copies of the three anthologies

3. Member Management System

 It was decided that a Google Doc system will be put in place to manager membership and membership payments

4.  HKWC Organising Committees and roles for 2013

 The following was agreed:

•  Chair – Melanie Ho
• Treasurer – Phillip Kim (Lawrence Gray is stepping down)
• Secretary – Edmund Price (Laura Besley is stepping down)
• Community Manager – Rebekah Chan
• Anthology Consultant – Simon Overton
• Just Write and Competitions Manager – Reena Bhojwani
• Anthology Editors (2014) – Peter Humphreys, Simon Berry, Katrina Hamlin, Kate Hawkins

Secretary will now manage the critique groups. Chair will now manage the monthly newsletter. All committee members must take on a specific role. Approval of three new roles: Community Manager, Anthology Consultant, Just Write and Competitions Manager

5. 2013 Events

•  Just Write workshops to continue, with Reena leading. Katrina Hamlin, Lawrence Gray and Simon Overton have offered to help lead the workshops
• Competitions will be introduced throughout the year, with winning entries posted onto the HKWC website. Reena to manage competitions. Melanie to speak with Vivek about adding a new section on the website
• Professional seminars and workshops to continue
• Socials format to continue (anthology launch, open house and Christmas party)
• It was agreed that new partnerships would be pursued and that events needed to not all be centred on the anthology.

6. 2014 Anthology

A discussion took place regarding the subject of the next anthology. It was agreed that the topic needed to focus aroundHong Kong, appeal to the membership but also present a cohesive theme that would resonate commercially.

It was agreed that the working title for the 2014 anthology is “Another Hong Kong”. the 2013 editors are Simon Berry (managing editor) and Katrina Hamlin, Kate Hawkins and Peter Humphreys (creative editors).

Simon to act as anthology consultant. It was agreed that the editors will discuss the theme and put together the call for submissions in time for the February or March newsletters.

7. Any other business: There was no other business. Melanie Ho called the meeting to a close.

Reading a piece out loud makes you realize a number of things. Such as: this sentence is clunky/cliched/lame Or (if it’s dialogue): No one actually speaks like that. Or maybe: Throw this out and start over. Whenever I read my work out at one of the HKWC readings, I’m less worried about the audience than I am about how the words sound in my voice. Although hearing my voice on a recording makes me cringe (I sound like I’m from Sweet Valley High), I find reading out lout (live) to be hugely beneficial to the revision process – it’s a chance to look at the flow and cadence of the piece, to judge whether what you’re saying is necessary or if words can be cut. Without anyone in the audience saying anything, Tuesday’s reading made me realize the changes I need to make for my anthology submission. So here’s to a few more early mornings and late nights of writing because while I’m all for hot shower distractions and beer-fueled inspiration, remember (as Milton Glaser tells us): Art is Work. (Ha, I’m totally procrastinating by writing this instead of editing.)

***
The HKWC AGM will take place Tuesday, January 29 from 7 p.m. Please join us as we plan our activities for the year and select the HKWC committee. Among other roles, we need members to volunteer as: HKWC Secretary, anthology editor(s) and Community Manager(social media, community board and some event assistance). The HKWC is a voluntary organization and yes, I could wax on about putting in a group effort and all that, but - but -actually:

• High performers work for free
• You need to learn how to organize an event from A-Z so when it’s time for your own, you don’t screw it up.
• You need a network. So, you know, people actually show up to said book launch
• Cut the line and get (faster) access to industry professionals. And mentors.

Until Tuesday’s AGM,
Melanie

Also in this edition:

- Peter Gregoire’s new book, Lawrence Gray on the publicity trail

- Anthology Update

- Submissions, Competitions and Publications

- Book Reviews by Leela Devi Panikar and Phillip Kim

Read on here!

Hands up if you hate end-of-year recaps, those Goodreads updates on your yet again failure to read everything on your reading list (does anyone ever actually finish their reading list?) and – unless you’re one of the lucky, talented few (that’s you, Phillip Kim) — the reminder that another year has passed and you’re still, still, not published. It’s enough to make you pack it in, read your horoscope, perfect your quiche recipe and catch up on all those episodes of Homeland that you missed via multiple work trips to China. Or maybe that’s why you’re not published.

I won’t bore you with the details of my procrastination (work, online shopping, beauty blogs), so here are some links to planning for 2013, what to give up, how a self-published book became one of the books of 2012 and, as Dwight Garner writes in the New York Times, the Woody Allen Method (“Good times, bad times, you keep making art. Many of your productions will hit; some will miss; some will miss by a lot. But there’s no time for the flatulent gas of pretension to seep into your construction’s sheetrock.”). And if none of these links help, then sign up for a HKWC critique group (email hello@hkwriterscircle.com). There’s nothing like a monthly guilt trip to get you writing.

***

This year has gone by seriously fast and as recapped-out as we all are, here are a few things that deserve a mention:
- Workshops from myths to villains (thanks Reena!), seminars on critiquing and how to get published (via Justin Hill and Nury Vittachi, respectively), an Open House and triple book launch, socials and readings
- Critique groups new and old (start that New Year’s resolution early, no? Just make sure you stick to it. No one likes a flaky writer)
- A revamped website (thanks Vivek!) and newsletter written by HKWC Secretary Laura
- The HKWC Christmas party, which is both predictable (the same menu three years running; Simon wanting to win the haiku competition) and full of new faces from members who have joined the HKWC this year. Congratulations to HKWC member Sergio Aguirre for his winning Christmas haiku.

Please join us for our AGM on Tuesday, January 29. It’s been a great year, but let’s do even better in 2013.

Happy Holidays, Melanie

Also, in this edition:

- Upcoming events, including the AGM, the HKWC Winter Reading and a Book Club dinner and social

- Member news and an update on the 2012 anthology

- A call for submissions and details on the City U MFA

Read on here!

We all, asumedly, keep our minds healthy by reading and writing a lot, but how many people pay attention to the health of their bodies? It’s very easy to spend hours crouched over a computer or slouched behind a desk, but what is this doing to your body and your overal mind & body balance? Recently I’ve tried exercising more (nothing too strenous, just swimming and yoga!) and have found that it helps in a number of ways. It stops me sitting, crouching, slouching for long periods of time; it allows me to focus on my breathing, which in turn gives me more energy; and more often that not, by the time I’m on my way home I’ve solved how I’m going to finish that piece, or I’ve got a new idea about what I’m going to write next. Don’t knock it, before you try it!

- Laura Besley

In this edition:

- HKWC events, including “How to get published in 2013″ and the 2012 edition of the annual HKWC Christmas Dinner

- Submissions, competitions and interesting links from around the web, including the HKWC’s mention in the November issue of Silk Road (Dragon Air’s in-flight magazine)

- Join a HKWC Critique Group or post to your reading news and notices to our Community Board

Click here to read on!

Do you ever stop to think why certain books are popular and others aren’t? Do you ever go back to a book you’ve really enjoyed and unravel it? Do you ever pick up a book again that you have previously given up on? It occured to me recently that while we’re told that we should read a lot as writers, why are we told this? I do read a lot, and always have done, but the only reason I do so is because I love it. Part of me doesn’t want to read for anything but pure pleasure, but another part of me is starting to think that each time I read a book I should be paying closer attention to why I’m enjoying, or not as the case may be, and see if that author’s ‘secret’ is something I can use to my advantage.

- Laura Besley

In this edition:

- New releases from Hong Kong authors

- Join a HKWC Critique Group

- Interesting links and the introduction of the new HKWC Notice Board

Click here to read on!